Iola High’s girls finished a regular season that has been anything but regular Thursday, in a 52-35 Senior Night loss to visiting Santa Fe Trail.
How much has the Fillies’ schedule been twisted in knots by the COVID-19 pandemic?
It took until Thursday for Iola’s girls to play a home game on the date for which it was originally scheduled.
That’s not to make excuses, head coach Kelsey Johnson had noted on multiple occasions. Other teams have been in the same boat since early December.
But it’s also evident that Iola’s squad, which can compete with anyone when the offense is clicking, struggles just as often, particularly on offense.
“It’s just tough,” Johnson said. “There have been times where we’ve played four games in a week, then have to take two weeks off.”
Thursday’s loss was a microcosm of what the season has offered for the hard-luck Fillies.
Seniors Becca Sprague and Andi Reynolds staked Iola to a quick 4-0 lead before Santa Fe Trail cranked up its pressure defense and scored 12 straight points to take control. The lead swelled to double digits before Josie Plumlee, Sprague and Aysha Houk scored late in the period to cut the gap to 29-17.
Iola twice pared the spread to 11 points, first on Lauryn Holloway’s 3-pointer midway through the third quarter, then when Sprague hit a pair of free throws early in the fourth.
But there was not enough left in the tank for the Fillies, who were playing their third game in three nights.
“It shows a lot to their character that they never quit on me,” Johnson said. “They have good attitudes. When it’s not going well, it’s easy to check out, but they’ve never quit working. We have a great, great group of girls. Yes, it sucks that we haven’t won a ton of games, but seasons like this go beyond basketball. And they realize that.”
Indeed, Iola continued diving for balls late into the game, a tell-tale sign of effort.
Sprague, who may have set an official record for times a player had to pick herself up off the floor after various collisions (at least six) led the way for Iola with 13 points. Holloway was next with eight.
It’s fitting that both players stepped up on Senior Night, Johnson said.
“Becca is strong enough to put the team on her back, and get to the hoop,” she noted. “She’s done that the last two games. “Laryn did the same thing. She’s aggressive.”
Johnson also praised role players like Reynolds and McKenna Orear, who earned Senior Night starts in their last game in the home whites.
